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The Chicago Bears aren’t waiting for free agency or the 2025 NFL Draft to improve the offensive line, as they have now made two trades in the same amount of days to land two starting offensive guards. After sending the Los Angeles Rams a sixth-round pick for Jonah Jackson, the Bears are giving the Kansas City Chiefs a 2026 fourth-round pick for offensive guard Joe Thuney.
Chicago acquires a four-time All-Pro protector, who is just 32 years old and has four Super Bowl rings. Quarterback Caleb Williams needs a player like this, as he was sacked 68 times in his first NFL season, which led the league and was tied for the third-most sacks taken all time.
The Chiefs are a worse team without Thuney in the lineup, but they move his contract off their books while they attempt to strike a record-breaking deal with right guard Trey Smith and make moves in free agency with limited financial resources. It was a tough decision to make, but it’s understood why Kansas City went this direction. As for the trade compensation? That’s a different story.
Let’s attempt to grade this trade:
Trade
- Bears get: OG Joe Thuney
- Chiefs get: 2026 fourth-round pick
Bears: A
Bears fans’ last exposure to Thuney was probably him getting worked by Josh Sweat in the Super Bowl, but that was because he’s a left guard, not a left tackle. Thuney was put in a tough situation since every other plan Kansas City made at left tackle did not work out, so the Chiefs had to rely on their interior star.
The Bears are serious about protecting Williams. In 2025, Braxton Jones figures to start at left tackle, Thuney at left guard, Jackson at right guard and Darnell Wright at right tackle. We’ll see what happens at center. Not every one of the 68 sacks Williams took in 2024 can be attributed to the offensive line, but good things did happen on occasion when he actually had time to throw.
Thuney will likely be given an extension before he takes a single snap for the Bears, but that’s completely fine since he’s just 32. The past two days, the Bears have spent a sixth-round pick and a future fourth-round pick to solidify both guard spots. Ryan Poles is likely polling well in Chicago.
Chiefs: D+
Thuney was a star for the Chiefs over the past few seasons, but the bottom line is that Kansas City currently has the highest-paid center and highest-paid offensive guard on roster while Thuney, entering the final year of his current contract and carries a cap hit of $16 million next season, was likely looking for an extension. The Chiefs were $18.1 million over the cap before this move, and still have work to do if they want to be players in free agency.
This was surely a tough decision for Brett Veach, because Suamataia as a replacement is no sure thing, and we learned from Super Bowls LV and LIX that Patrick Mahomes needs adequate protection if the Chiefs want to hoist trophies. The main reason this grade is so low is because Thuney is worth more than a future fourth-round pick.
